Grants From The Millay Colony

The Millay Colony for the Arts (USA) offers one-month residencies to six visual artists, writers and composers each month between the months of April and November.

The Millay Colony is an artists residency program in Upstate New York offering one-month and two-week retreats to six visual artists, writers and composers each month between April and November. We also offer a select number of group residencies for collaborating artists and virtual residencies for those who can’t spend prolonged time away from home. We welcome artists of all ages, from all cultures and communities, and in all stages of their career. Each residency includes a private bedroom and studio as well as ample time to work in a gorgeous atmosphere. We do not emphasize events or production goals. We believe we can offer artists nothing more precious than the chance to work, and we provide everything an artist needs to organize her time for maximum productivity.

Setting
Our seven-acre Upstate New York campus, with its lovely meadows and forest, is adjacent to the former home and gardens of poet Edna St. Vincent Millay and the exquisite Harvey Mountain State Forest. Our residents and guests have access to trails for hiking and bicycles, as well as meadows for picnics (with wild blueberry, wild thyme and a delicious mix of plants and flowers) and creeks and streams for cooling off. In the Winter, residents may choose to go cross-country skiing.
We are near the towns of Chatham, NY and Great Barrington, MA (a lovely Berkshire town with all the trimmings).

Dining
Our chef cooks healthy delicious dinners and also provides food for residents to cook their own day-time meals. We are happy to respond to food allergies as well as vegetarian, vegan and other diets. We have a barbecue for outdoor grilling and get-togethers.

Facilities
The Steepletop Barn has four bedrooms and four studios with beautiful meadow and mountain views. The Main Building was featured in the July ’98 issue of Architectural Record for its sleek look and commitment to universal access. This building contains two residency suites and studios as well as common areas open to all residents, including the kitchen, dining and living areas, and a laundry room. All are fully accessible. The Main House also has a darkroom, a Yamaha U1 upright piano, a large collection of art books, lounges, a public telephone, and WiFi. In our adjacent offices, we have a fax machine, copier, computer and printer which residents may use.

TO APPLY
Applications to our artists residency program must be submitted online or postmarked by one of our deadlines, either October 1 or March 1st. All residents are judged anonymously by a panel of artists in their field. We aim to make the jury process as transparent and “fair” as possible. You can read about past juries on our Juries page. Please visit out Application Page for more information.

Status of all applications are emailed out either late January for the October 1st deadline, or mid-May for the March 1st deadline.